Espanyol continued their impressive start to the campaign with a 3-2 win at Atletico Madrid on Saturday to move two points behind third-placed Villarreal in La Liga.
A 77th-minute winner from striker Pablo Osvaldo sealed only a second away win of the season for Espanyol, who had twice been pegged back by Atletico in a pulsating match.
Espanyol took a 21st-minute lead when Luis Garcia crashed a penalty in off the crossbar after Portuguese winger Simao had handled.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Atletico equalized on the stroke of halftime when Portuguese international Tiago, on loan from Juventus, fired home after a goalmouth scramble from a corner.
Cameroon goalkeeper Carlos Kameni had a busy start to the second half as hosts Atletico pressed, but Espanyol playmaker Joan Verdu fired his team into a fortunate 53rd-minute lead to stun the home fans.
Argentine Sergio “Kun” Aguero leveled again for Atletico on 65 minutes, but the visitors continued to attack and Argentine-born Osvaldo, a summer signing from Bologna, scored a terrific winner 13 minutes from time.
Espanyol, who have a perfect 18 points at home, now lie four points ahead of fifth-placed Valencia, while Atletico are five points behind in sixth.
Earlier, veteran Spanish international Marcos Senna celebrated becoming Villarreal’s all-time record league appearance holder with a fine opening goal as his side won 3-0 at 10-man Real Zaragoza to close to within five points of league leaders Real Madrid.
The 34-year-old Senna, a Euro 2008 winner with Spain, made his 220th league outing for Villarreal to beat the previous best of Argentine Rodolfo Arruabarrena and scored a superb goal to boot, firing in a long-distance shot in the eighth minute.
Spanish international winger Santi Cazorla, who along with Senna was left out of Spain’s World Cup winning squad, doubled Villarreal’s lead on 17 minutes and Brazilian international forward Nilmar weighed in with his eighth league goal of the season on 65 minutes.
Zaragoza had been reduced to 10 men shortly before the third goal went in when Italian defender Mateo Contini was sent off for a second bookable offense.
“It was fundamental to win this match,” Villarreal coach Juan Carlos Garrido said.
It was a tough place to come despite what the league table said and we knew it would test us,” he said.
The win sees third-placed Villarreal close the gap on Barcelona and Real Madrid, four and five points ahead respectively, who face off today in the first Clasico of the season at the Camp Nou.
Zaragoza prop up the table as new coach Javier Aguirre waits for his first win in charge.
In Saturday’s other match, Sevilla crashed to their second successive home defeat, with Getafe coming from behind to snatch a 3-1 victory at the Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan.
Sevilla took the lead through Mali forward Frederic Kanoute on 29 minutes, but two goals in as many minutes saw Getafe turn the game on its head.
Manu del Moral leveled from the penalty-spot on 57 minutes after a handball from Abdoulay Konko and two minutes later Miku Flores put Getafe in front, before Pedro Rios clinched the points on 74 minutes with a fine goal.
Sevilla stay down in seventh, with new coach Gregorio Manzano struggling to make his mark.
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